Quantizer continues Harm’s exploration of transience, algorithmic precision, and generative instability. Drawing inspiration from sand mandalas, intricate designs meticulously created by monks and then ritualistically dismantled, the work embraces impermanence and continuous change. Each piece functions as a dynamic broadcast channel, generating endlessly subtle variations rather than fixed, immutable images.
The title refers to quantization, an algorithmic process of reducing continuous values to discrete units. It serves both as a technical method and poetic metaphor. Visually, Quantizer applies dithering to evoke the textures and palettes reminiscent of historical computers, such as the IBM CGA and ZX Spectrum. This dithering functions not only as a shading technique but as an aesthetic principle, softening transitions through deliberate introduction of noise and granularity.
Unlike previous evolutionary series such as Mutant Garden Seeder, where changes accumulate progressively, Quantizer’s variations exist independently. Every twelve seconds, a new composition is seeded directly from Ethereum block hashes, synchronizing viewers worldwide in a shared visual experience. The work’s deliberate instability and absence of memory reflect Harm’s broader artistic philosophy, highlighting the inherent impermanence and poetic potential of generative digital art.
Ultimately, Quantizer invites contemplation. It rewards slow and sustained observation as the viewer experiences subtle yet ceaseless transformation.
